Farymann Follies - My Life As A Diesel Mechanic...NOT!

Well we got it, drove 128 miles and change to Santa Cruz By The Sea to construct the engine lift (a JOB), and haul the yellow Farymann Marine Diesel A30 to the truck bed. I eased her down, fasten her in, deconstructed the engine lift, straped it in, jump in the truck with Kelly and awaaaay we went!

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Not far at first, to the Santa Cruz Diner as seen on Diners, Driveins and Dives. Packed with milling people, waiters and waitresses and the smells of breakfast, lunch and possibly a dinner or two wafting over the scene. We sat in a wall booth as directed by a most polite hostess, water came soon enough and we spent the next while amide the hustle and bustle trying to sort out our choices for lunch. Kelly chose the steak sandwich "as rare as you can get it" was her command and I the patty melt, next the choice of drinks, I opted for a coke and kelly had her norm...H2O. Both came with a generous portion of golden french fries and Kelly's steak was as rare as it could be without mooing. She was happier with her meal than I was with mine, mine lacked something, under seasoned perhaps (for me who has a penchant for the saline) but it seemed more even than that. What I do not know but I've had better versions of this old favorite of mine. Meal eaten 16 USD and change with a generous tip for the fine level of service we were off for Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean views it provides as one ambles north towards San Francisco. One old beach friends of days long gone slipped into view and past though throngs of people had come to sit, walk, sunbathe and ogle on this spectacularly sunny and warm day in the month of November. We did not stop as I knew this was a longer trip than the ride down on 680 to 17 and across the mountains, probably the better part of 4 hours at the restful pace we were going loaded down with the engine and the lift. Every hill a journey. I contemplated what work was going to be needed to get the Farymann into shape for installation in Zulu. Paint certainly, some derusting of the obvious, new filters, oil and such and the ever challenging finding it a home in the meantime in the already packed garage. Oh the garage! Soon the cutover to highway 280 was upon us at Pacifica and we motored carefully into the traffic bound for the east bay across the now infamous Bay Bridge. Though we were heavy it didn't collapse as we hunkered down in mid span and drove on. Up Hwy 80 to 12 and across the marsh past Walmart and home. In for the day and night we bedded down early exhausted by all our efforts at gawking and riding. The next morning I began The Undertaking...no not a funeral...maybe it WAS of sorts but certainly not intended as one. Removed the lift from the truck, assembled it and hauled out the objects necessary to create a spot for the Farymann and related equipment, tools etc. I went next door to summon Captain Vern to give me a hand positioning the Farymann on a wheeled trolley which took us about an hour to accomplish as the lift's long legs had to be assisted to roll uphill on the driveway towards the flat floor of the garage. A chore this was but once done the Farymann was loose of the chains that bind and on the trolley and, best of all, rolled into the garage for inspection and cleaning. About that time Kelly and Audrey returned from a lunch effort. They soon swept and removed the detritus that I had swept from the garage and placed it into the various rubbish bins. More about THAT later. I thinked them for thier help and they disappeared into the house. Upon closer inspection I found extensive corrosion, rust and deterioration of the crankcase, cylinder casting etc. As I rubbed off more dirt and grime it became apparent that this corrosion had consumed much of various metal parts over not a short time. I purchased the engine from a party unmentioned on eBay. I had paid with Paypal so there was a level of protection from this sort of situation therein. I sat at my computer and went to paypal, signed in and found my 455USD transaction shortly. Then I undertook the dispute process and emailed my findings and desire to be refunded the money to the seller. That is where it stands at the moment. I returned this morning and took photos of the corroded areas and sent them along to my diesel guru in North Carolina as well as to the kindly gentleman at Farymann whome I contacted about the engine earlier today. We shall see where this all goes. At the time the engine is in the garage sitting on wood blocks on the trolley. While feeling let down I have some degree of hope, if not for the engine and a possible repair, for our bank account and the refund it may soon see.
Later!

Zulu, The Boat That Is...

Well yesterday I ventured to Rio Vista and Walton's Marine Repair, Inc. to see how the ol' girl is doing these days. She has been in that yard now for three years and fed a diet of money intermittantly ever since. Mostly her problems came from the iron fasteners used to assemble her some 75 years ago in 1934. In the ensuing years they slowly began to disolve, being iron and subject to electrolysis and the result of same, rust. Yes they were closed over with red lead, typical for the time and that was that. Some of the fasteners began to allow trickles of water into her bilge several years ago and were difficult, no impossible, to find the location of. I tried many times to find these weepers but to no avail...all that could be seen was the trickle flowing down into the bilge and slowly to the mouth of the bilge pump. Little did I know or realize the ulrtimate catastrophe that was coming someday...Zulu would sink at the dock, which she finally did. Not good and arrangements were made to get her into Walton's for the ultimate fix...a new bottom.
Then before anything further could be done she sank a second time when a kindly neighbor relocated her bilge pump output to her own deck! She became a submarine again! What a job it was to get her afloat, my expert diver neighbors came to her (and my) rescue and helped by going inside (very dangerous proposition) and sealing the windows, toilet valves etc. so the 20,000 gallon per hour pump could do it's good work, as it did. Then we towed her to Walton's in Rio Vista for the gala pulling and she has been there since. She is close to being finished, the bottom is largely done, she needs caulking and bottom and top paint and a new diesel which I am currently trying to acquire. Then my buddy S who visited me in France this last summer is coming all the way from North Carolina to help me install the bloody diesel and take the old engine home with him. When this will all happen is somewhat mysterious as part of the bottom repair remains to be accomplished AFTER the BMW diesel is pulled from her. Bob the master of the yard will do that work himself as I have no clue. So that is the case with the "Z" boat.

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We are due in Walnut Creek at 1:30 today to pick up a double convection oven we bought on eBay. It was a good buy from afar, we'll see when we get up close just how good a buy it is...I spy some greasy looking areas and some redish area that I cannot identify, the seller says it's all functional so I guess we will live with the sale one way or the other. I'm GOOD (but not terrific) at oven cleaning.

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We are also headed to my son's place for a Halloween Party with many, many guests.
Hopefully someone will talk to us as that is a rarity at these events. We soon feel ignored and thus it leaves us somewhat sad and depressed. Families are hard on each other somehow. Different directions, differing interests, friends, activities all add to the confusion. There's no one to blame it's just the way it is.

Pea Soup! And Cinnamon Buns!

It's Baaaaack! The Fog. Thick, swirling viscous fog of the marsh and California Valley. The fog that kills. Boats collide, cars and trucks mix up metals and paint.
Terrible stuff this because here...life goes on with or without it. One must drive in California, it's a rule. Everything you want, job, careers, training, food, fast food (not real FOOD but simulated...quite popular) and that commodity that makes it all run...gasoline! Yes We Drive For Gas! So in fog as thick as this the traffic barely slows down except to glare at some other poor soul who has given up and is parked in the high speed lane eyes wide open (or shut!) in fear for his/her life! Then they get hit! So went the commute to wherever. Fog so bad that hundreds of cars enter the fray when some woe-be-gone changes lanes into the side of a passing big rig. Others, the other way is to take only 2 lane roads and avoid the high speed travails of the Interstate grid lock death race. That's even more hazardous!
Uncontrolled entrances from side streets, mom and pop stores, mini-malls, strip malls, malls! Deadly game this Fog Driving business. Avoid the driving and you sit home watching reruns of "Dr. Phil's House" where couples take IT out on their spouses and Others trapped by the good Doctor in this HOUSE somewhere in Hollywood (I expect). Or watch your cats sleep. Life is OVER in California without your ever so reliable car. It's the way-it-is.
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Then there's Cinnamon Buns To Die For:

These are for breakfast in Heaven...
Now...think of that regular ol' Lute whole Wheat Nut Loaf from a few blogs back...make it but w/o the oats in the beginning and hold the nuts for after the 1st rise. Use dough cycle of your machine, or do it by hand, I don't care.

Same recipe except:
ADD 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon to the dough right in the beginning.
Now:
Mix thoroughly
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
2 TBSP (the big one) Butter or Margarine
1/2 cup chopped Pecans, chopped Walnuts (expensive these days), Pine Nuts,
Spanish Peanuts.
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The Glaze:
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Shortening or Margarine.
Heat this slowly in a small skillet til it just begins to boil, turn off.

At the end of the 1st full rise while the bread is still in the risen state,
poke a finger in it and knock it down...this is normally done by one of the
baker-helper angels but here on earth it's up to you. Don't punch it!
Never. never, never! Others are watching!
Now...after that rant...
Take your dough and place on a well floured surface. If God wanders by at
this moment because of the luscious smells...tell him it'll be a while,
he'll understand...maybe.
Roll and shape with a rolling pin to a large rectangle.
Sprinle the brown sugar mix over the entire surface.
Roll tightly into a long round loaf.
Cut 1" slices across the beauty and place in a well greased pan, skillet or
baking sheet.
Allow to rise til it doubles...45 min to an hour.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove and brush on the glaze as you like it,
thick or thin.
Allow to cool...HA!
Tell the angels to "beat it"! This disaster is yours and you'll make more
for them later...share one with God. Or two if you're friendly.